My definition of Distance Learning is using the Internet to bring together students and teachers together into an electronic classroom to learn.  The biggest advantage to distance learning is that it gives flexibility to people because they join the classroom on their time schedule.  There is no travel time, thereby saving time and fuel costs.  It allows for a more visual classroom.  Instructors can post videos and links to web sites for students to use.  Instead of verbal conversations, student communicate through discussion boards, which allows other students to go back and review conversations without recalling them from memory.  Distance learning is all about communication.  It turns the traditional classroom (which tends to be lecture) into a classroom where everyone can feel as if they are part of the classroom.  Distance learning classrooms are also paperless, thereby making them enviromentally friendly.